Accidents of the Week – February 11, 2023
Search Underway for Missing Kayaker in Jefferson County, Alabama
1/28/23 – Jefferson Co., AL
A search was underway on the afternoon of 30 January for a missing kayaker in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said family members of 34-year-old Richard Douglas Fields said he went to Bayview Lake to go kayak fishing on 28 January, but had not been heard from since around 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.
The sheriff's office said its Star 1 helicopter was deployed to assist with the search, but Fields had not been located. The sheriff's office said the search for Fields would resume on 31 January.
Body of Capsized Boater, 65, Found in North Fork Lewis River
1/29/23 – Clark Co., WA
The body of a 65-year-old man was recovered on 30 January after a small boat capsized on the North Fork Lewis River, in Washington State, on the afternoon of 29 January.
Around 12:30 p.m. a boater on the river called 911 to report a small capsized boat and one man in the river, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said. The man, 65-year-old Randy Greer, was helped to shore and said his friend, Robert Stevenson, was also in the capsized boat.
Capsized Boaters Not Wearing PFDs
Emergency crews from both the sheriff’s office and Clark County Fire and Rescue rushed to the scene. A search in the water, on land and from the air with a drone began quickly and went on for hours. The search was suspended around 4 p.m. on 29 January, officials said.
When search and recovery efforts resumed the following day, Stevenson’s body was found about a half-mile downriver. Authorities said neither man was wearing a life jacket.
Coast Guard Finds 4 Boaters Missing in Biloxi Bay
1/30/23 – Pass Christian, MS
Four people were rescued on 31 January from the Gulfport Shipping Channel, after not returning from their boating trip the previous day.
After being stranded overnight at sea, four boaters were brought back to land where their families waited restlessly for them to return. Forty-two-year-old Victoria Farr, 37-year-old Richard Allen, 12-year-old Piper Farr, and 11-year-old Chase Craig left the Pass Christian Pier around 9 a.m. on 30 January.
Gas Used Up in Attempt to Release Boat from Sandbar
Around 5:30 p.m. that afternoon, the four realized their boat was stuck on a sand bar near Chandeleur Islands and used all their gas trying to get unstuck. The boaters had been expected back in port about 8 p.m. The Coast Guard in Mobile received a call about 4:30 a.m. about the boat, missing in the vicinity of Biloxi Bay.
Since that time, the families of the boaters were left thinking the worst. Breonna Craig said, “You hear about this stuff every day, that ships or boats go missing and, like, people are never found or they wash up and they go home in a body bag. That’s like the first thing that I thought of.” Olivia Jordan said, “I was at a loss for words and I immediately started thinking the worst. Didn’t know if he was gonna come home dead or alive.”
After confirming the boaters’ truck and trailer were still left unattended, the Coast Guard coordinated the launch of two boat crews and an aircrew to search. They were found at about noon on 31 January and brought home to safety.
Coast Guard Rescues Two Anglers After Engine Detaches From Boat
1/28/23 – Bay St. Louis, MS
The Coast Guard rescued two boaters on 28 January. According to reports, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile responded to a report regarding a vessel taking on water after the engine became detached from the boat around 8:13 a.m. near the Chandeleur Islands.
Adult, Minor Rescued by Coast Guard
Sector Mobile watchstanders dispatched a helicopter aircrew to assist and transport the adult male and minor boater to Bay St. Louis, Miss. Both boaters were reported to be in stable condition.
Burning Yacht Spilled Fuel in Tacoma Waterway
1/24/23 – Tacoma, WA
A yacht named Pandemonium caught on fire in the Thea Foss Waterway, dumping 40 gallons of gasoline into the Puget Sound.
Tacoma Fire responded to a recreational vessel on fire at about 6:45 p.m. on 24 January at 1900 E. D St, near the former Johnny’s Dock Restaurant & Marina. According to Tacoma Fire’s investigation report, the fire started near the rear of the boat where the engine was.
Owner Denies Mechanical Issues
Firefighters extinguished the fire within 30 minutes, according to Tacoma Fire spokesman Joe Meinecke. No other boats were exposed to the flames, he added.
According to the report, the owner said he was not having mechanical issues and the last time he had work done on the boat was November 2021, which was cosmetic. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Coast Guard, Partners Suspend Search for Missing Kayaker Off California
1/27/23 – Sonoma Co., CA
The Coast Guard, Marin County first responders, and Sonoma County first responders suspended the search for a missing kayaker last seen off Lawson’s Landing in Tomales Bay, on 27 January. The search was suspended pending further information after first responders found no sign of the missing kayaker.
Coast Guard Issued Urgent Marine Information Broadcast Notice to Mariners
At 6:38 p.m. on 27 January, Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay received a notification from the Marin County Dispatch regarding a 911 call reporting an overturned green kayak 200 yards south of Lawsons Landing.
Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay responders notified Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders who issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast notice to mariners and deployed Coast Guard assets to search the area.